Guardian of the Flame
by Ink Outside the Lines
Summary: Bloom always thought that having magic would be, well, magical. It never occurred to her that magic might also be dangerous. But between monsters, evil witches, dark curses, and her own hard to control powers, that's a lesson Bloom is starting to learn.
1. Chapter 1

An Unexpected Event

Bloom stared around the tree trunk, eyes wide and heart pounding. This wasn't real. This couldn't possibly be real. There was no way she was seeing a girl in a sparkly orange outfit with a staff and shimmering wings fight monsters.

 _Monsters aren't real._

But the red, crablike creatures slashing at the girl with vicious claws seemed very, horribly, real.

"Solar wind blast!"

Light flared from the girl's staff, blinding Bloom. _What was that?_ Blinking spots out of her vision, Bloom squinted to see what had happened to the monsters. The small creatures had vanished. _Whoa. Did she just destroy them all?_

Something growled. Menacing, dangerous, the sound awakened some primal fear inside Bloom's brain that screamed a predator was coming and she needed to run away, but she couldn't move. Her legs were locked in place, her eyes riveted on the scene before her. A hulking creature stepped out of the shadow of the trees, at least eight feet tall. Its body bulged with muscle under knobby, yellow skin, and its beady eyes glared with hatred at the girl who raised her staff in challenge.

"Newsflash, ugly," the girl said, betraying none of the fear that any sane person would be showing in this moment. "The power of Solaria is so going to flatten you."

The creature roared, and Bloom felt the power of the sound vibrate all the way down to her bones. Even if they were in one of the more secluded sections of the park, there was no way people could have failed to miss that sound. It charged at the girl, and Bloom saw her golden brown eyes widen with surprise. She jumped, wings fluttering to take her out of the creature's path, but for all its size, it was still fast. It caught her with a glancing blow that still had enough force to send the girl careening off to the side and into the ground. Bloom winced in sympathy as the girl cried out in pain. She lost her grip on her staff, the weapon landing several feet away.

"You're finished, little fairy," the creature snarled, and Bloom jumped. _He can talk!_ He leaned down and snatched the staff off the ground. "You're scepter is ours."

The girl – fairy? – sat up, clutching her side in obvious pain. "You won't get away with this, ogre!"

The ogre smiled at her, and Bloom cringed at the sight of his yellowed, too sharp teeth. "I already have." He raised one massive fist, the fairy shrank back with fear –

And suddenly Bloom found herself dashing out from behind the tree. "Leave her alone!"

Amazingly, the ogre froze. He turned his head slowly, red eyes focusing on her. Bloom felt the blood draining from her face. _What am I doing? I can't fight an ogre!_ But she hadn't been able to just stand there and watch him kill the fairy girl either. The ogre turned towards her, and three steps closed the distance between them. "You should mind your own business, human," he snarled, reaching for her.

"N-no, stay away!" Bloom screamed, raising her arms in an ineffectual shield. He grabbed her, one of his hands large enough to cover her whole forearm and lifted her off her feet. _Nononono! I don't want to die!_

Something inside Bloom pulsed, sending shockwaves of heat through her body. It roared in her ears, drowning out the sound of everything else as it suddenly burst out of her, flinging the ogre away. Bloom tumbled to the ground, stunned and trembling.

 _What just happened?_

The ogre groaned, slowly pushing himself up from the tangle of the branches of the tree that Bloom had tossed him through. Raw looking burns covered the ogre's forearms, and he swayed as he got to his feet.

The fairy girl dashed into Bloom's line of sight, snatching up the staff the ogre had apparently dropped when Bloom had done…whatever it was that she had done. Pointing the staff at the ogre, the weapon flared with light so brightly that Bloom had to shield her eyes.

"Sun burst!"

There was a crash, and Bloom opened her eyes to see the ogre was down again, and this time he wasn't moving.

 _Is he dead?_

No, his chest was moving – slowly – but the ogre seemed to be down.

The sudden silence was deafening. The fairy girl turned towards Bloom, one hand gripping the silvery staff, the other holding her side where the ogre had hit her; Bloom could see the fairy girl's skin was already starting to darken into a large bruise. "Wow," the girl said. "You've got some major winx."

"Wh-what? What are you talking about? What's going on?"

The fairy girl walked toward her. Bloom pushed herself to her knees, suddenly realizing that she didn't know anything about this girl, wasn't even sure that the girl was human, and just because the ogre was obviously a monster that didn't mean this girl was automatically good. But the fairy didn't level the staff towards her. Stopping in front of Bloom, she held out a hand to help her up with a smile.

Hesitantly, Bloom raised a hand but paused when she saw how it was trembling.

 _I can't stop shaking._

The fairy looked down at her, leaning on her staff, her expression sympathetic. "Your first ogre? I mean, meeting an ogre is always pretty horrid, but the first one is the absolute worst."

Bloom stared. How could she act like this was _normal_? "What – who are you?"

"Princess Stella of Solaria," the fairy answered. "Thanks for your help. You really saved me. What's your name?"

Finally, Bloom reached up and accepted the offered hand, allowing Stella to help pull her up. "Bloom." She didn't let go of Stella's hand. It was ridiculous, because Stella was a complete stranger, but somehow touching another person eased the shaking, helped loosen the grip of terror, reminded her that she was still alive. "Could you please explain what on earth is going on?"

"Sure thing," Stella said. She glanced back at the unconscious ogre. "But, uh, maybe we could do this somewhere more private?"

"Right," Bloom said. "Let's go." She led Stella off through the wooded section of the park toward the spot she'd left her bike. Then she paused, suddenly realizing a problem in their plan to get away clear. "Um, is there any way you can hide your wings?"

"Oh, of course," Stella said. "I forgot that people in this realm don't have any." She closed her eyes, and light shimmered around her, making her figure hazy. When the light faded, Stella's wings, sparkly orange boots, shorts, midriff baring top, and staff had all vanished, to be replaced by an elegant gown of orange and gold. "Better?"

Bloom blinked. Frankly the dress was no less eye catching than Stella's shimmering wings had been, at least when it came to walking down the sidewalk of the small city of Gardenia. But at least without wings Stella looked human. Rich and wildly overdressed, but human. "That works, I guess."

They made it back to where she'd left her bike, and Bloom finally let go of Stella's hand to get it. She briefly considered whether or not they could manage to ride the bike double, but quickly dismissed the idea. In that dress, Stella would have a hard time managing a bike on her own, much less riding double with someone else. "Come on, my house is this way."

As expected, they got a lot of stares, but the blonde fairy didn't seem to notice. But she was, Bloom realized, panting, and sweat trickled down her face. "Are you okay?"

Stella smiled at her, but the expression seemed forced. "Fine, darling, fine. But, um, is your house very far? Because I kind of used a lot of winx in that fight before you helped me, and I might pass out soon."

Bloom's jaw dropped. "Stella! About to pass out is not fine!"

She waved a hand, though whether it was meant to be a dismissive gesture or to fan herself, Bloom wasn't sure. "I just need some rest and I'll be as good as new!"

Bloom picked up her pace. She needed to get Stella out of sight before the fairy passed out. It wouldn't do to have her fainting on the street and for well-meaning pedestrians to call 911 and get her sent to the hospital. Because Bloom was pretty sure doctors would notice that Stella wasn't human, and as all movies showed, human doctors and sentient nonhuman beings were not likely to mix well.

By the time they arrived at Bloom's house Stella's steps had started wavering, and Bloom had to help her in the house. Unsure if Stella could handle the stairs up to Bloom's room, she decided to stash her in the downstairs guest room. It wasn't like her parents went in there when they didn't have guests over anyway.

Stella collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to kick off her heels. "Hey, don't pass out yet!" Bloom said. "You still haven't given me any answers!"

"Sorry, Bloom," Stella mumbled, her eyes closing. "Talk when I wake up."

"She's really out?" Bloom leaned closer, but it seemed Stella really was fast asleep. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "There's a fairy in my house. An actual _fairy_ is in my house." It sounded crazy, hearing herself say it out loud. No way would she have believed it if she hadn't seen Stella in action for herself. But she'd seen Stella fly, if only briefly, and toss around magic like it was nothing. She glanced back at Stella's sleeping form. "Well, not quite nothing."

 _And I used magic too._

She didn't know what else to call that blast that had tossed the ogre away. _But I've never done anything magical before._ And not for lack of trying. As a kid Bloom had been obsessed with magic and fairies, playing pretend for hours at a time, and desperately attempting to perform some magical feat with zero success. Then she'd grown up a little, realized magic wasn't real and quit trying. So if she could do magic, why now when she wasn't trying instead of when she'd been a kid and had tried?

She brushed her fingers over the arm the ogre had gripped. She could still feel the pressure from when he'd yanked her up in the air. She'd been so sure she was about to die.

 _Maybe that's it. Maybe I was never scared enough to do magic before._

Well, whatever had initially triggered her magic, Bloom couldn't feel anything now. She just felt normal, like herself, with no hint that she might be anything other than your average fifteen year old girl. _Hopefully I'll be able to get some answers about what happened when Stella wakes up._

Bloom stood and left the guest room, shutting the door behind her. It was just in time too, as she heard the front door open and her mother call out, "Bloom, I'm home!"

Bloom pasted a smile on her face and dashed to the living room to meet her mother. "Hey, Mom, how was the shop?"

Vanessa smiled back as she kicked off her shoes by the door. "Really good. It actually stayed pretty busy today, which was a nice surprise. Middle of the week is usually a little slow."

"That's great!" Bloom said. "Since you were so busy, how about I help with dinner?"

Vanessa paused. "Well, that's a pleasant surprise. You don't normally offer to help with cooking."

That was because Bloom didn't particularly _like_ cooking. But she was willing to put up with any unpleasant chore if it meant she could keep an eye on her mother and make sure she didn't go in the guest room and find Stella passed out on the bed.

 _Maybe I should just tell her and Dad about Stella and what happened in the park earlier?_ She wondered as she followed Vanessa into the kitchen.

Right, like they'd believe her. Bloom almost couldn't believe it and she'd been there. _But I've got proof. Stella is here, and she can do magic. That should convince them. Though, I guess she won't be able to convince them until she wakes up. I wonder how long fairies have to sleep after they use a lot of magic._

"Bloom!"

Bloom jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. "What?"

Vanessa put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "I called your name several times, you know. Where's your mind wandered off to?"

"Just, um, thinking about school starting next week," Bloom said. She fidgeted, guilt immediately eating at her. She didn't normally lie to her parents, and this, well, this was kind of big.

"Nervous about high school? Don't be." Vanessa squeezed her arm in a reassuring gesture. "You'll be fine, Bloom. Now, why don't you get started on a salad? Mike's coming home from the fire house tonight, and we want a good dinner waiting for him. You know he only eats frozen meals when he's there."

"Sure thing," Bloom said. Between cooking and listening to her mom's stories about her day at the flower shop, Bloom was far too occupied to continue thinking about Stella, fairies, or maybe having some kind of magic. It seemed like no time at all before she heard the front door open again.

"Hello in the house!"

"Dad!"

Bloom didn't have to fake excitement as she flew out of the kitchen and threw her arms around her father. He'd been on shift at the fire station for the past two days, so Mike coming home was always exciting. He hugged her back, ruffling her hair. "Hey, how's my favorite girl doing?"

"Great," Bloom said. She let go of him and stepped back so that Vanessa could have her turn hugging him as well.

"Welcome home, sweetie," Vanessa said. "Dinner is ready."

"Smells wonderful," Mike said. He gave Vanessa a quick kiss before following them to the kitchen table. Bloom had already set it with plates, so all that was left to get the dishes of food set out as well.

"How was work?" Vanessa asked once they were all settled at the table.

"Thankfully quiet," Mike said.

Bloom couldn't concentrate on her dad's stories about the past few days at the fire house. From her chair she could see the closed door of the guest room, and all she could think about was Stella hidden away inside. _I should tell them about her._ It would probably be better to tell them now instead of waiting for them to find out when Stella woke up, or finding out by walking in the guest room and being surprised by Stella's presence.

"There's a girl sleeping in the guest room."

Her parents froze, Mike with a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. "What?"

Bloom squirmed. Maybe she shouldn't have blurted it out quite like that. "It's not as weird as it sounds, I swear!" _No, it's actually kind of weirder._

"Who is in the guest room?" Vanessa asked.

"And why?" Mike asked, setting his fork back down on his plate.

"Her name is Stella," Bloom said. "I met her earlier today in the park." She bit her lip, hesitating, because this was the part her parents weren't likely to believe. "She was fighting an ogre."

They just stared at her for a moment. Finally, her dad asked, "Is that some sort of new slang?"

"No, Dad," Bloom said. "It's not slang. She was fighting an _ogre_ , a massive, angry, monster!"

As she spoke, Bloom could picture it all over again, the way the ogre had loomed over her, the feel of his calloused hand as he lifted her off her feet like she weighed nothing, the smell of his fetid breath in her face, the sheer terror and helplessness knowing that the ogre could kill her with no effort whatsoever and she couldn't do anything to stop him.

Her breath hitched in her throat, vision blurring with tears. "I was so sure it was going to kill me." She covered her face with her hands and sobbed as the pent up stress and tension Bloom hadn't even realized was there from the fight finally released. She felt her parents' arms wrap around her, strong and warm and safe, and she leaned into them, taking comfort from their touch.

It was a few minutes before she was able to compose herself and stop crying. As her sobs settled down into sniffles, Mike said, "Come on, let's go have a seat on the couch."

Bloom let her parents lead her into the living room and settle her on the couch in between them, with Mike's arm around her shoulder and Vanessa holding on to her hand. "Now," Mike said, "tell us exactly what happened."

Haltingly, and knowing she probably sounded crazy, Bloom told them about what she had seen in the park, how she had jumped into the fight, and her unintended use of magic against the ogre. Her parents didn't interrupt, but as her story came to a close, Bloom saw them exchange a pointed, concerned look with each other.

"I swear, I'm telling the truth!"

Vanessa squeezed her hand. "Bloom, sweetie, we can certainly tell you believe that this happened."

"Because it did!"

"Bloom," Mike said, using the same gentle tone of voice he'd always used when she was little and had woken up from a nightmare and needed her father's comfort. "You know there's no such thing as magic."

Bloom shook her head. "I know what I saw. I know what I did, even if I don't know how I did it!"

Her parents exchanged another look, and Bloom knew it was hopeless. They didn't believe her. "I wouldn't lie to you about this!"

"No one is saying that you're lying," Vanessa said.

"I'm not crazy either!"

"We're not saying that!" Mike quickly interjected.

"Then what are you saying?"

"We're saying we don't know what to believe!" Mike shook his head before fixing her with a serious look. "Bloom, I'm sorry, but what you're describing is an impossibility."

Bloom bit her lip, struggling to keep new tears from falling. She shouldn't have said anything. She should have known they'd never believe her, not without tangible proof of what had happened. _Wait, Stella! Stella knows how to use her magic!_ Bloom might not be able to back up her words with action, but Stella could!

"Then why don't you wake up Stella?" Bloom said. "Ask her what happened!"

"You know, I think that's a good idea," Vanessa said. She let go of Bloom's hand and stood up from the couch before making her way over to the guest room.

Bloom and Mike sat in silence while they waited for her return. Mike's arm was still around Bloom's shoulders, and even though she was frustrated with him, Bloom didn't try to pull away. She still felt like she needed a hug.

A few minutes later Vanessa came out of the guest room alone. She softly shut the door before coming back and reclaiming her seat beside Bloom. "She's completely out, I couldn't get her to wake up." Reaching up, Vanessa brushed her fingers through Bloom's hair. "Maybe we should put this conversation on hold until morning?"

Since they weren't likely to resolve anything until Stella woke up anyway, Bloom didn't have an issue with that. "Okay."

"Well, in that case," Mike said, "I think we should go ahead and finish dinner."

Bloom had lost much of her appetite, but went with them back to the table. The rest of dinner was quiet, and when Bloom had eaten all she could stomach, she asked to be excused.

"An early night is probably a good idea," Vanessa said.

Mumbling her thanks, Bloom went up the stairs two at a time and locked herself in her room. With a groan, she flopped down on her bed. She didn't want to think about the fact that her parents were surely discussing her downstairs, probably wondering what could have happened to make her suddenly become delusional. Hugging her pillow, Bloom rolled over so she was staring at the ceiling. _At least this day can't get any worse._

* * *

"What do you mean, she got away?"

Knut winced at the sound of Icy's cold, brittle voice. He'd known his employers wouldn't be happy at his news, but there was no help for it.

"It wasn't my fault," he said, trying to keep his voice low. Sound in alleys carried sometimes, and the last thing Knut needed right now was to be found by humans. "I almost had the scepter, but there was an earth-girl – "

"An earth-girl?" Stormy interrupted, her voice scratchy and sneering. "You were defeated by some earth-girl?"

"She had magic! Really powerful magic!" He had the burns on his arms to prove it; not bad burns, so far as burns went. Ogres were fairly resistant to fire, but that meant her magic had been all the more powerful in order to actually burn him at all.

"Forget about it," Darcy cut in. "It doesn't matter why you failed. Is Stella still on Earth?"

"I think so," Knut said. "I hurt her during the fight, so she couldn't have gotten far."

"Good. We can recreate the charm to track down the power of Solaria. Then you can retrieve the scepter while she's still weak."

The hazy, floating image of Icy's pale blue eyes narrowed. "And this time, Knut, you'd better not fail us. Stay hidden until we contact you."

The image of her eyes vanished as they abruptly ended the spell that allowed him to talk to them dimensions away. Knut grumbled to himself. The kind of people that hired him typically weren't nice, but these three witches had a level of arrogance that grated on him, particularly since they were still students themselves. If they weren't paying so well, there was no way he'd put up with it.

 _The sooner this job is over, the better._

* * *

AN: This story is me having fun. Winx Club was one of my favorite shows as a kid, and there are still things I love about it (a show that emphasizes female friendships? That allows female characters to be traditionally girly and still kick butt? Yes, please!). But it does have some issues. A number of them are inherent to most kids shows - oblivious adults, lapses in logic, few lasting consequences. Some of them bother me on a personal level, like the way Diaspro was handled, or the conflicting continuities, or the way the Trix go from trying to rule Magix to playing second fiddle to almost every other big bad that comes along.

So here's what you can expect from this story. Adults that aren't totally oblivious, consequences for character actions, villains that actually think their plans through, and a little less cartoonishness. Never fear, I don't plan for this to be overly dark. It's Winx Club, after all. But things aren't going to be that easy either (and hey, that's what makes stories fun!).


	2. Chapter 2

It Feels Like Magic

Morning sunlight filtered through gauzy curtains woke Bloom from her sleep. _Mmm, I don't want to get up yet._ She was comfortable, bundled up on her bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper under her covers. _Wonder if I can sleep a few more minutes before I have to talk to Mom and Dad about Stella again?_

A sudden jolt of adrenalin shot Bloom upright in her bed with a gasp. "Stella!" Kicking her covers off, Bloom tumbled out of her bed and down the steps. She found her parents were already in the kitchen, cups of coffee in their hands.

"Is Stella awake yet?" she asked.

Vanessa shook her head. "She's still sleeping."

Disappointment swiftly set in. She wasn't going to get anywhere with her parents regarding what had happened the day before without Stella to back her story up. "Oh. Um, I guess I'll go get dressed then."

Bloom took her time getting ready. She wasn't eager to face her parents until Stella was awake to back her up. Eventually showered and dressed, Bloom could stall no longer, so she made her way downstairs where the mouthwatering smell of pancakes filled the air.

"I'm going to check on Stella," Bloom said before ducking in the guest room. Stella was still sprawled on the bed where Bloom had left her, though someone – probably Vanessa – had tucked the blankets around her. Padding over to the bed, Bloom reached out and gently touched Stella's shoulder. "Hey, Stella."

Stella grumbled and squirmed, but her eyes blinked open focusing on Bloom's face. "Bloom?"

Bloom smiled, relieved to see her awake. "Morning. My mom is making pancakes if you're hungry."

Stella sat up with a yawn. "Oh dear, I must look like a mess."

She sort of did. Her long hair was tangled, and her once elegant dress was hopelessly wrinkled. But Bloom didn't feel like it would be very polite to agree. Instead, she simply offered, "You can use my shower and borrow some of my clothes if you'd like."

Stella smiled at her. "Oh, Bloom, you are a dear."

"Did you want to eat breakfast first?"

Stella sniffed the air; the smell of the pancakes was beginning to permeate the whole house at this point. "You know, I think I will. Using that much winx leaves me famished."

Bloom led Stella out of the guest room and to the kitchen where her parents were waiting. Bloom hastened to make introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is Stella. Stella, these are my parents, Mike and Vanessa."

"Thanks for letting me spend the night," Stella said. "I really appreciate it!"

"Of course you're welcome," Vanessa said. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Please!" Stella said, accepting a seat at the table.

Bloom sat beside her, and soon everyone had a pile of pancakes in front of them.

"Now, Stella," Mike said as they were eating. "I don't mean to interrogate you first thing, but could you tell us what happened last night?"

"Sure thing," Stella said agreeably. "You see, I was on my way to Alfea – that's the leading school for fairies – when that nasty ogre and his ghouls attacked me. I'd have been in real trouble if Bloom hadn't helped me." She turned to look at Bloom then. "You really do have some awesome magic you know; it takes a lot of winx to toss an ogre through a tree! Oh, that gives me an idea! You should totally come to Alfea with me! You'd love it, Bloom. It's the best place to get training."

"Okay, hold on," Mike interrupted, putting his fork down. "You can't honestly expect us to believe that you're a magic fairy."

Stella frowned back at him. "I am a fairy, and I can prove it."

Pushing her chair back from the table, Stella stood and closed her eyes. A golden glow wrapped around her then faded away moments later, revealing Stella in the outfit that Bloom had first seen her in the day before. Gossamer wings fluttered, lifting Stella from the floor, and Stella grinned triumphantly at Mike. "Still think I'm not a fairy?"

"You're hurt!" Vanessa said.

It was true; Stella's side had darkened to a nasty bruise where the ogre had managed to hit her. "I'll be fine," Stella said. "It's just a bruise, and we fairies heal quickly." She settled back down, and with another brief flash of light she returned to her regular outfit, hiding the bruise beneath her wrinkled dress.

"See, I told you she was a fairy!" Bloom said, glad to have her story validated. "And I really did use magic!"

"You sure did," Stella agreed.

"So where is this Alfea?" Bloom asked. She hadn't missed Stella's suggestion that she attend, and the idea of going to a magical school sounded too good to be true.

"It's in Magix, which is sort of another dimension from here," Stella said. "It's totally the best school for learning magic though."

"No," Mike said emphatically. "I'll admit that I guess you are a fairy, and that means Bloom really must have used – used _magic_ , but that doesn't mean I'm about to let my daughter go off to another dimension to attend a magical school."

Stella seemed surprised by Mike's response. She cocked her head at Bloom. "Have you really never used magic before?"

Bloom shook her head. "No, never."

"Hm, that's weird. Your winx is activating late. Maybe it's an Earth thing?" She turned back to Mike. "But honestly, Alfea is probably the best place for Bloom. I mean, it's taken a weird amount of time for her winx to start, but now that it has it isn't just going away. She going to have to learn to use it somehow, and I'm guessing there aren't a lot of magic schools around here."

"I appreciate your concern, Stella, but we'll handle this."

Bloom deflated a little at Mike's words. She knew that when he used that tone of voice there was no changing his mind. The idea of actually learning how to use magic was, well, _magical_. Bloom would pick magic school over regular high school any day, even if it was in another dimension.

Vanessa began gathering their now empty plates from the table, and Bloom quickly stood to help her. But as they worked, the back door suddenly started rattling.

"What now?" Mike asked as he began to stand. The words were barely out of his mouth before the door fell in off its hinges, the hulking figure of the ogre filling the door frame.

Plates slipped from Bloom's fingers and crashed to the floor as she recognized the ogre as being the same one that had attacked her and Stella in the park. A golden blur flew by her, and suddenly Stella was between Bloom's family and the ogre, once more changed into her fairy form.

"Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday, ugly?" Stella demanded.

The ogre grinned at her. "Sure did. I brought more ghouls this time."

He stepped to the side, allowing the red crablike creatures to spill into the house. Vanessa screamed, stumbling back towards the table. Before Bloom could make up her mind what she should do, she felt Mike's hand on the back of her shirt, dragging her back away from the danger and shoving her towards the front door. Bloom stumbled a few steps in that direction.

 _But Stella's going to need help!_

And Bloom was the only one that might be able to help her; assuming she could manage to use her magic again. She started to turn back, but Mike and Vanessa were right behind her. Mike didn't bother turning her around or speaking. He leaned down and grabbed her, hoisting Bloom over his shoulder before she could manage any sort of protest. From her position, Bloom caught a glimpse of Stella. She had summoned her staff, and was managing to hold off the ghouls so far with blasts of light, but Bloom could see that there were just too many, and Stella was already too tired. She wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.

Then they were out the front door and Bloom lost sight of Stella, though she could still hear the crashes of the fight, and see flashes of light through the windows. "Dad, she needs help!"

Mike set her down on the sidewalk. "First rule of emergencies," he snapped.

 _Don't become another victim._

Mike had hammered that rule into Bloom for as long as she could remember. He was the one trained to run into burning buildings, not her, and he'd never wanted her to feel inspired to do something she wasn't really equipped to handle. Jumping into situations she wasn't trained to handle was a good way to make things worse.

 _But I'm the only one who can help her!_

Maybe cops could help, whenever they got there. Maybe. For all Bloom knew, ghouls and ogres might be bullet proof. But she did know they weren't magic proof, and Stella might not last long enough for the cops to help even if they were able to do something.

The front door of their neighbor's townhouse opened, a neighbor sticking his head out, clearly wondering what all the noise was. Mike took several steps towards him, shouting for the man to get anyone inside and to get out. Everyone on their block knew that Mike was a fireman, so the man didn't hesitate to obey.

Bloom judged the distance between her and Mike, and then her and the front door. Decision made, Bloom sprinted for the door. She didn't pause or look back as her parents shouted her name. She just ran.

She'd been outside for maybe a minute, but already the house looked like a warzone to Bloom. Furniture was toppled over and broken, scorch marks on the wall from Stella's energy blasts, and Stella herself was bleeding from various cuts where the ghouls must have gotten to her.

The ogre noticed her entrance and pointed at her. "Don't let the earth-girl interfere!"

Three of the ghouls turned, their yellow eyes fixing on Bloom. One of them charged at her, scuttling across the floor faster than she expected. Bloom threw up her arms in defense at the creature leaped at her, but for all that it didn't come higher than her knees, the ghoul was heavy, and Bloom fell back onto the floor, the ghoul on top of her.

Bloom thought she had been afraid the day before, when the ogre had grabbed her, but that was nothing compared to the pure terror that sang through her veins as the ghoul's pincer inched towards her neck.

Heat pulsed through her, and Bloom's world faded into red.

* * *

The good news was that Bloom had destroyed the ghouls. The bad news was that the house was on fire. The worse news was that Bloom lay unconscious where she had fallen, surrounded by an orange glow as her winx kept pouring out of her, shooting flames across the floor and up the walls.

Stella had heard of this sort of thing happening to fairies that didn't have good control of their winx, but she'd never actually been unlucky enough to see it before now.

Stella hovered above the flames, panting in the heat. She could tolerate some high temperatures – she was from _Solaria_ after all – but this heat would quickly become too much for even her to handle. Luckily, the ogre seemed even less thrilled about the flames than she was. They were fire resistant, not fire proof. Glaring at her through the flames, the ogre beat a retreat for the back door.

Sagging with relief that that problem was handled for now, Stella fluttered over to Bloom. "Hey, Bloom, snap out of it!"

Bloom didn't move, didn't seem to notice Stella's presence at all, even though her eyes were wide open. Stella reached down and patted Bloom's face. "Come on, you're safe now, you can stop!" The house groaned ominously. Perhaps safe wasn't really the right word.

Desperation clawed at Stella. She couldn't move Bloom until she stopped sending out waves of flame, and it was getting hard to breathe. She didn't know how to snap Bloom out of this, but she had to try something. Stella shifted her scepter back to its ring form so she'd have both hands free. Holding her hands over Bloom's chest where Stella thought her heart should be, Stella let winx pool in her hands, and refused to think about the risk she was taking if this didn't work.

Merging the winx of two fairies was a high level technique, usually only doable by fairies that had a strong trust between them. Failure often resulted in injuries to both fairies.

Stella poured her winx into Bloom, and was greeted by a raging inferno, flames lanced through with fear. Gritting her teeth against the pain that seared through her, Stella poured more of her winx, using its gentle warmth to send a message of safety, of gentle sunlight in a spring meadow, of light glinting off a cool pond.

It worked. The terror faded and the flames of Bloom's winx receded. "S-stella?"

Stella cut off her winx at the sound of Bloom's voice, and suddenly every part of her felt like lead. She tumbled to the ground, catching herself on her hands and knees so as not to fall completely on top of Bloom.

"What happened?" Bloom mumbled. Her skin was pale and slicked with sweat, though whether that was from overuse of her winx or the heat of the flames that hadn't vanished when Bloom's power stopped feeding them, Stella wasn't sure.

"We've got to get out of here," Stella said, struggling to keep her voice brisk and not let her exhaustion show. They were slightly closer to the front door than the back, but Stella could hear shouting from out front. There would be a lot of nonmagical humans out there by now, and the first rule of visiting Earth was to never let them see you.

Well, actually, the first rule of visiting Earth was don't visit Earth, but it was a bit late for that one.

Making a quick decision, Stella looped one of Bloom's arms around her shoulders, and lifted her up. With one last burst of energy, Stella flew for the back door, coming to a stop as soon as she felt the cool outside air wash over her skin.

 _The ogre!_

He'd waited for her in Bloom's postage stamp of a backyard, hidden from other humans by the fence that surrounded it.

 _I can't fight him right now._

Neither could Bloom. Even if she could have controlled her powers, she'd lapsed back into unconsciousness. No, they only had one shot at getting out of there now. Her ring glowed as it shifted into its larger form, and kept glowing as Stella geared up for the transport spell. She couldn't focus well enough to pick a location to go. The best she could manage was to tell the scepter to take them somewhere safe.

The ogre lunged for them, but too late. The scene faded away, to be replaced by clean white walls, familiar décor, and an even more familiar brunette Specialist gaping at her.

Stella managed a relieved smile, because if he was here, then she and Bloom were definitely safe. "Hey, Sky. Catch me."

* * *

Brandon lunged forward as Stella passed out, and Sky managed to grab her friend so that she didn't hit the floor of their common room either.

"What the hell?" Riven asked, echoing Brandon's thoughts completely.

Brandon carefully laid Stella down, eyes darting over her in a cursory examination. He wasn't a healer, or even a medic, but every student at Red Fountain was taught the basics of battlefield medicine. Stella smelled like smoke, but he didn't see any burns. She did have a nasty bruise on her left side, along with various shallow cuts, but she didn't seem to be at risk for bleeding to death. Most worrisome were the obvious signs that she'd depleted her winx to dangerously low levels.

"Timmy, get help!" Brandon snapped. A part of him would have liked to have snatched Stella up and run her to the infirmary himself, but that would have been stupid to do when help was so close. He didn't know what kind of internal injuries she might have, and he wouldn't risk moving her himself.

Timmy sprinted for the door, shouting for a professor to come.

"How's the other one?" Brandon asked, finally glancing over at her. Bandon didn't recognize the other girl, but that didn't mean they weren't going to try and help her.

"She doesn't seem physically hurt," Sky replied. "But she's definitely out of winx."

Brandon turned his attention back to Stella. _What happened to you?_

It was a question that would have to wait. Timmy returned, followed closely by Professor Codatorta and Headmaster Saladin. "What happened?" Professor Codatorta demanded.

"Not sure," Brandon said as he reluctantly moved away from Stella to give Headmaster Saladin room to examine her and the other girl. "Princess Stella transported them here, but she passed out immediately after arriving. The other girl was already unconscious."

"I am taking them to the infirmary," Headmaster Saladin calmly announced. Raising his staff, the purple jewel glowed for a moment before he vanished, taking Stella and the other girl with him.

"Any idea why she'd come here?" Professor Codatorta asked.

Brandon shook his head. "No, sir. I mean, we're friends but…I don't know." He couldn't guess whether Red Fountain had been her destination, or if maybe he had been. She didn't have any particular attachment to the school that he knew of, but Brandon was fairly sure the two of them had been on their way to being more than just friends the year before, at least until Stella had gotten herself expelled from Alfea and indefinitely grounded with no communication allowed over the summer months. For Stella to have specifically sought him out for safety displayed a level of trust that Brandon wouldn't have expected from their relationship yet.

Apparently done questioning them, Codatorta wheeled about and left the room.

"Come on," Sky said. "Let's see if we can find out what's going on."

"You two go ahead," Timmy said. "Riven and I will clean up here first."

At first Brandon wasn't sure what Timmy meant by volunteering to clean, but then he noticed the blood staining the carpet where Stella had been laying. His jaw clenched. Whenever he found out who or what had done this to Stella, he was going to make them pay.

Brandon and Sky rushed through the halls to the infirmary. They found that Codatorta had beaten them there, standing several feet away from the beds the girls were laying on with his arms crossed and glaring at everything. Healer Akim stood between the beds, a glowing hand over each girl. Headmaster Saladin noticed them first, and motioned for them to approach. They did, stopping by Professor Codatorta. Brandon was relieved to see Stella's injuries closing up and fading away under Healer Akim's ministrations.

"Princess Stella is an Alfea girl, isn't she?" Codatorta said. "Think there's any chance something happened at that school?"

Headmaster Saladin shook his head. "Whatever may have happened to Princess Stella and her friend, it did not happen at Alfea. I have already contacted Headmistress Faragonda. She assured me everything was fine at her school, and she's on her way over here to check on the girls."

"The other one is one of hers then?" Codatorta asked.

The headmaster shrugged slightly. "Without seeing the girl or knowing her name, Faragonda couldn't say."

The glow faded from Healer Akim's hands and he opened his dark eyes to take the others in. "They will both recover," he said. "But they have depleted their winx to dangerously low levels. I wouldn't recommend either of them trying to use magic for at least a week."

Headmaster Saladin nodded. "I'll make sure that Faragonda knows your recommendation."

 _A whole week with no magic?_

Bandon and Sky shared a look. For them to have used up so much of their magic meant they had to have faced something bad. Well, obviously they'd faced something bad for Stella to have been as injured as she had been, but it must have been even worse than he'd initially thought. Unfortunately, the only thing he could do right now was wait for one of them to wake up.

* * *

AN: With great power comes great destruction. Bloom can't have access to the greatest source of magic in the universe without accidentally burning something down at least _once_.

Also, I'm going to be playing with the magic system a little bit. It'll be fun for me, and hopefully entertaining for all of you.


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to Magix

Faragonda had had far more practice remaining calm in trying situations than she would have liked to admit. But this particular situation was difficult even for her. It was hardly every day that she received a call letting her know that one of her students was injured and being cared for at Red Fountain.

The infirmary was quite crowded at this point. Faragonda had called Stella's parents who had been understandably upset about the whole situation, rushing over as quickly as they could, and bringing guards with them. Saladin had ordered that the guards remain out in the hall, and Codatorta had escorted them out. That left Saladin, the healer, herself, and the two Red Fountain students that had found Stella and the other girl.

Faragonda let her gaze drift to the other girl. She wasn't one of her students, and if she was a friend of Stella's, she was one that King Radius and Queen Luna didn't recognize. _The poor girl's parents must be worried sick._ Well there was no helping that. Until one of the girls woke up and they found out who she was, they had no way of contacting anyone on her behalf.

"Shouldn't she be awake by now?" Queen Luna asked. She sat in a chair beside Stella's bed, clutching her daughter's hand while King Radius paced back and forth behind her.

"You must give it time, your majesty," Healer Akim said. He had a nice voice for a healer; deep and soothing. It was just the sort of voice that could calm injured students. "She has greatly depleted her winx. Rest is the best thing for her right now."

"The longer she rests the more time her attackers have to get away," King Radius snapped.

"There is time enough to bring her attackers to justice later," Faragonda interjected smoothly. "If rest is what Stella most needs right now, then rest she shall have."

King Radius glared at her, but Faragonda was unmoved by it. If she lost her nerve every time a monarch was upset with her, she wouldn't have lasted very long as Alfea's headmistress. Besides, King Radius wasn't truly upset with her. He was angry with whomever had harmed his daughter, and in that at least, he and Faragonda were in agreement. She might not frighten the girls like Griselda did, but no one harmed her students and got away with it.

Stella stirred in her bed, drawing everyone's attention. Queen Luna leaned over her. "Stella, sweetheart, are you okay?"

Stella's eyes flickered open. "Mom?"

"I'm here," Queen Luna assured her.

Suddenly Stella gasped and sat up, looking around frantically. "Bloom, is she - ?"

"Your friend is fine," Healer Akim said. "She's just over here, resting."

Stella's whole body sagged in relief as she caught sight of her friend. "Oh, good." Glancing around, Stella finally seemed to notice the rest of them. "Oh. Um, hi?"

"Don't 'oh, hi,' us," King Radius growled. "What happened to you? _After_ you tricked your way away from the guards meant to escort you to Alfea that is."

Stella winced. "I would have been fine, really!"

"This is not what I would call fine," King Radius said.

"Radius, hush, and give her a chance to tell us what happened," Queen Luna chided.

"Well, I was on my way to Alfea," Stella said, "but someone interrupted my transport spell, and I ended up on Earth."

Faragonda frowned. Both pieces of news were troubling. It took quite a bit of skill to interrupt a transport spell, and Earth was not a friendly place for magic. It had not existed on Earth in centuries.

"Before I could restart my spell, I was attacked by an ogre and some ghouls," Stella said. "I was doing fine; I mean it was _just_ an ogre."

Saladin's eyebrows rose at Stella's description, and Faragonda had to resist the temptation to echo his expression. There was no such thing as just an ogre. They might not use magic themselves, but they were strong and hard to hurt. Stella was obviously trying to downplay the amount of danger she'd been in.

"Anyway, things might have gotten a little dicey, but then Bloom showed up and helped out. She totally blasted the ogre through a tree. It was awesome!"

"Your friend is from Earth?" Faragonda asked.

Stella looked up at her. "Yep, she is! I don't think she'd ever even seen a real fairy before me, but she's got some major winx. You know, I really think she ought to come to Alfea."

 _An Earth fairy? That's impossible._ There had been no fairies from Earth in centuries. She couldn't possibly be from Earth, though Stella didn't seem to realize it. But if she wasn't from Earth, then who was Bloom really?

"Enrollment suggestions can wait until your tale is done," Queen Luna said firmly.

"Oh, right. Well, anyway, I was sort of wiped after that fight, so Bloom let me spend the night at her house."

"That all happened yesterday, and you didn't call for help?" King Radius demanded.

"Um, no-o," Stella said. "But in my defense, I was _really_ tired. I didn't wake up until this morning. It is still the same day, right?"

"It is," Faragonda confirmed for her. _No wonder her winx was so low. She wore herself out yesterday, and that is clearly not the end of her story._

"So this morning after Bloom's parents fed me breakfast, the ogre showed up again, and he had more ghouls with him. That was, uh, kind of tough."

 _I wonder who she inherited her gift for understatement from._

"But Bloom helped me out again! After she destroyed the ghouls, I was able to get us out of there, and we ended up here. So, that's what happened."

"Why Red Fountain, if I may ask?" Saladin said.

"Oh, well, I didn't have a real place in mind," Stella said. Her eyes darted towards one of the Red Fountain students, the one that had been introduced as Prince Sky of Eraklyon, and away again. "I just wanted the scepter to take us somewhere safe, and I guess it did."

"Stella," King Radius said, "do you have any idea who this ogre was, or why he was after you?"

She shrugged. "I never heard his name, but he said he was after my scepter."

"I see," King Radius said. He nodded, as though coming to a decision. "Given these circumstances, we will be withdrawing you from Alfea until things are resolved."

Stella's jaw dropped. "But, Dad!"

"No arguments, Stella."

"If I may, your majesty," Faragonda interjected, stepping forward. "I believe that it would be for the best if Stella remained at Alfea this year. Our school has many protections to keep our students safe. I believe Stella will be just as safe within our walls as she would be in yours. It would be a shame if this ruckus meant that Stella's education had to lag behind."

Faragonda didn't add the word 'again', but she knew Stella's parents heard it. Stella's grades had not been completely hopeless the year before, though they hadn't been what Faragonda believed they could be if Stella had chosen to apply herself, but Stella had simply had one too many misadventures. The explosion in the potions lab had been the last straw, leaving Faragonda with no choice but to expel her for the year. Now Stella would be repeating her first year all over, if her parents allowed her to return.

"That's all well and good," Queen Luna said, "presuming Stella _remains_ on campus."

Stella made a small noise of protest, clearly understanding her mother's implications, but didn't actually say anything, showing the best judgement that Faragonda had seen from her to date.

"I don't see why that should be a problem," Faragonda agreed. "Of course there are some teacher supervised excursions, but they are perfectly safe."

Queen Luna turned in her seat slightly to look up at her husband. He glared down at her for a moment before relenting with a sigh. "Oh, very well. But hear me now, Stella. If I receive word that you've left Alfea and put yourself in danger even once, I will pull you from the school and you'll have to make due with tutors. I will not take unnecessary risks with your life. Once this matter is resolved, then we will see about granting you more freedom."

"Yes, sir," Stella said. Her downcast expression and slumped shoulders showed that she clearly didn't like the restrictions, but she didn't argue about them. But Stella wasn't one to remain glum for long, because in the space of a heartbeat she was turning back to Faragonda. "So do you think there's any way you could let Bloom come to Alfea too?"

 _Why is she so insistent on bringing Bloom to Alfea?_

Truthfully, Faragonda was interested in having Bloom at Alfea, if only to get to the bottom of where she came from. Because if Bloom really was from Earth, and magic was somehow beginning to make a comeback on that world, Faragonda wanted to know. But if Bloom wasn't from Earth at all, if her family was from another realm and hiding out on Earth, Faragonda wanted to know that too.

Stella, on the other hand, was unlikely to be considering such things. It could be something as simple as Stella feeling as though the two of them had bonded through their life and death battle, but Faragonda's intuition told her that it was more likely something that Stella hadn't mentioned to them yet. After all, she hadn't been very clear on what sort of help Bloom had given her that had caused Bloom to be so worn out.

"That would require some discussion first," Faragonda said, unwilling to commit one way or another just yet.

"Well, I believe if the conversation is turning to Alfea's admissions standards, that is my cue to leave," Saladin said. "Of course both girls are welcome to remain in the infirmary as long as they need. Come on, boys."

Prince Sky looked over at Stella, and it was clear from his expression that he'd rather stay and have the chance to talk to her, but his blond friend grabbed his arm and pulled Sky along after the headmaster.

Queen Luna focused her attention on Healer Akim. "When will Stella be ready to travel to Alfea?"

"She may make the trip at any time, so long as she is not the one trying to run the transport spell," Healer Akim replied. "I would rather her friend remain here until she has woken up first."

"I'm not leaving Bloom by herself," Stella said with more force than used for anything else so far.

"Of course not," Faragonda replied. "I'm sure it would be rather alarming for her to wake up without a familiar face nearby."

Stella relaxed then, sinking back into her pillows and stifling a sudden yawn. She probably wouldn't manage to remain awake much longer. _More rest is precisely what Stella needs right now._

Queen Luna patted Stella's hand. "We need to return to Solaria, dear."

"But we'll be leaving an escort to make sure you make it to Alfea safely," King Radius said. It was hardly necessary; Faragonda would like to meet the person that could interrupt one of _her_ transport spells. But all things considered, she could understand why King Radius would want the extra assurance of Stella's safety.

"Okay," Stella said, her eyelids lowering.

Leaning forward, Queen Luna kissed Stella's forehead and then straightened. By the time her parents left the room, Stella was sleeping again.

With Stella asleep, Faragonda moved towards the bed that held Bloom. Healer Akim held his hands over her again, surrounded by the soft, pale glow of healing magic. Faragonda patiently waited for the signs of his magic to fade before speaking. "How much longer do you think before she wakes up?"

"Several hours," Healer Akim replied. "Based on Stella's tale, this was Bloom's first time accessing her winx at all. To have depleted it so completely her first time will give her a longer recovery period."

Faragonda nodded. "Well then, I'd best get myself a chair."

* * *

Bloom regained consciousness slowly. At first she was only vaguely aware of feeling warm. Eventually, she recognized the feel of a firm mattress beneath her, and soft blankets tucked around her. The sensation struck her as odd, though in the hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, she couldn't say why.

 _The ghoul!_

Heart racing, Bloom sat up with a gasp.

"Easy, Bloom, you're safe."

She wasn't at home any more. The room she was in reminded her vaguely of a hospital room with its pale cream colored walls, tiled floor, and row of cots against the wall. Bloom spotted Stella quickly, sleeping in the bed next to hers. There were two adults in the room as well, a tall man with brown skin and dark eyes, dressed in blue and white floor length robes, and a woman with fair skin, an ageless face that could have been anywhere from thirty to sixty, silver hair pinned up in a neat bun, and dressed in a rather matronly outfit. It was the woman that had spoken to Bloom, so she focused on her.

"Where am I?"

"You're at the infirmary of Red Fountain," the woman replied. Her eyes crinkled behind her glasses when she smiled. "Though I suppose with you being from Earth, that doesn't mean much to you. Red Fountain is the school for heroes in the realm of Magix. Stella transported the two of you here after your fight with the ogre. I am Ms. Faragonda, the Headmistress of Alfea, the school for fairies that Stella attends."

"I am Healer Akim," the man said walking towards her. "How are you feeling, Bloom?"

Bloom leaned back against her pillows as the rush of adrenaline left her. "Tired," she admitted. She felt like she had weights tied to her limbs. "And hungry." Her stomach gnawed at her, as though she hadn't eaten in days.

Healer Akim nodded. "Not unexpected. That's a standard reaction to winx depletion. With plenty of food and rest, you should be just fine, Bloom. But I don't recommend that you attempt to use any magic for at least a week."

Bloom nodded. "Um, okay."

 _This is surreal._

Talking to Healer Akim almost felt like talking to any regular doctor. Except of course on Earth, there was no doctor that would give her instructions like 'don't try to use magic until you're better'. "So, what exactly is winx depletion?"

"It's what happens when fairies use too much of their magic," Healer Akim said. "Overextend yourself too much, and you run the risk of burning out your winx completely."

"Oh," Bloom said. Then the full implications of his words sank in. "Wait, are you saying that _I'm_ a fairy?"

"Since it is only fairies that can suffer from winx depletion, yes, you must be," Healer Akim said.

"But how is that possible? My parents are humans," Bloom protested.

Ms. Faragonda's mouth twitched up in a smile. "I'm sure they are, and so are you, Bloom."

Bloom frowned. "I'm confused."

Leaning forward in her seat, Ms. Faragonda began to explain. "The term fairy does not designate your species, but your type of magic. Among humans, there is fairy magic, witchcraft, wizardry, and sorcery. Fairy magic and witchcraft are exclusively female magics, while wizardry and sorcery are used by men. In the magical realms, we have a tendency to refer to people by the form of magic they use. Though not everyone uses magic, in which case they are simply referred to as human."

"Okay, I think I get that," Bloom said. It was still weird though.

"Now, Bloom," Ms. Faragonda said, "Stella filled us in on some of what happened while she was on Earth, but she didn't stay awake long enough to fill in all of the details. If you feel up to it, could you tell me what happened, starting yesterday when you and Stella first met?"

"I think so," Bloom said.

Healer Akim moved towards a desk at the other end of the room, saying, "If you think you'll be awake long enough for it, I'll call for a meal for you."

Bloom perked up at the thought of food. "Yes, please." Then she turned her attention back to Ms. Faragonda and told her about finding Stella in the park fighting the ogre. Since the woman had said she was looking for details, Bloom tried to fill in as much as she could, but she had to suppress a shiver when she got to the part about the ogre turning on her.

She'd made it to the part about them having breakfast at her house by the time a tray of food arrived for her. Bloom's mouth watered at the smell of the thick stew, accompanied by a roll and some unfamiliar greens. With the tray settled in her lap, Bloom ate while she finished telling Ms. Faragonda about the attack.

"The ghoul jumped on me, and then…" Bloom frowned, swirling her spoon around in the stew as she thought. "I'm not sure exactly what happened after that. Everything gets kind of fuzzy. I remember…I think I remember Stella trying to get me up, but that's it." Bloom looked between Ms. Faragonda and Healer Akim. "I don't even remember using magic, so how did I end up with winx depletion?"

"I can't say for certain," Ms. Faragonda replied, "but my guess is that your winx reacted to protect you when your life was in danger, just as it did when the ogre attacked you yesterday. But since you've never learned to control it, it must have severely overreacted, which is what would have drained you."

"I guess that makes sense," Bloom said. She finished the last few bites of her meal, and Healer Akim took the tray from her. With her stomach full, Bloom found that her weariness was weighing even more on her than it had been earlier. "Hey, how long have Stella and I been here?" She didn't see any clocks, and the room's one window had the shades pulled closed, so Bloom couldn't judge what time it was.

"You've been sleeping for about ten hours now," Healer Akim replied.

Bloom shoved herself up in a sitting position. "Ten hours! My parents! They don't know that I'm okay!" She kicked the blankets off. "I've got to get home."

"Easy, Bloom, no need to panic," Ms. Faragonda said, standing. "Of course we will return you home, if Healer Akim believes it is safe for you to travel."

"So long as you are the one working the spell," Healer Akim said to Ms. Faragonda. "And so long as Bloom gets more rest soon."

"I will," Bloom promised, eager to return home. She glanced over at Stella, who had somehow slept through the noise. Bloom hated to leave Stella without saying anything, but there was no telling when she'd wake up. Bloom didn't want to leave her parents worrying any longer than she had to.

"Now, Bloom, I know you are from Earth, but where on Earth do you come from?" Ms. Faragonda asked.

"Gardenia," Bloom replied. "Though I guess you probably don't know where that is, do you?"

"I don't need to know the exact location," Ms. Faragonda replied. "Just having a name helps." She held out a hand for Bloom. "Shall we?"

Bloom took her hand and Ms. Faragonda smiled at her. "Just think of home, Bloom."

Closing her eyes, she did just that, imagining the cozy and familiar living room, with its well-used furniture, cheerful yellow walls, and numerous family photos scattered around. Bloom felt a strange sensation, as though for a second she'd become fifty pounds lighter, but the feeling passed as quickly as it came.

"Oh dear," Ms. Faragonda said, letting go of Bloom's hand.

Bloom opened her eyes and gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth. _This can't be real!_ They were standing in her living room, but the room was charred black. Puddles of water pooled on the floor, leftovers from the hoses that would have been used to put out what must have been a raging fire. "How could this happen?" Bloom asked, turning slowly in a circle to try and take in the extent of the damage. When she had turned enough that she was facing Ms. Faragonda again, she asked, "Could the ogre and ghouls have done this?"

Ms. Faragonda shook her head. "It is unlikely. Besides, Stella told us that you destroyed all of the ghouls."

"Me? But how could I have…" Bloom trailed off as a horrible thought occurred to her. "Did – do you think I did this?" She gestured to encompass the room around them.

Ms. Faragonda looked around, and then her gaze came back to rest on Bloom, not unkindly. "Only Stella could tell us for certain, but given what I know, yes, Bloom, I believe it is likely that your magic did this."

The world seemed to tilt, and Bloom swayed. Ms. Faragonda slipped an arm around her shoulder, steadying her. "Easy, Bloom, easy. Just breathe, dear."

Bloom did, taking a deep breath, and she tasted ash in the air.

"Bloom!"

Bloom's head snapped up to see her father coming through the front door. Stumbling away from Ms. Faragonda Bloom reached out for him. Mike met her halfway, catching her up in a hug so tight her feet lifted from the floor. "Dad, I'm sorry," Bloom said.

"It doesn't matter," Mike said. "I'm just relieved that you're okay."

After a minute that wasn't nearly long enough, Mike set her back down and pulled back a little so he could look her over. "Bloom, what happened after you ran in the house?"

Bloom cringed, realizing that he didn't know that she was the one that had set their house on fire. The words stuck in her throat, and she looked back at Ms. Faragonda.

The woman stepped forward, clearing her throat to get Mike's attention. "If I may interrupt a moment? I am Ms. Faragonda, Headmistress of Alfea."

"Mike Peters," he answered automatically. Mike frowned. "That's the school that Stella girl mentioned."

Ms. Faragonda nodded. "That's correct. Stella transported herself and Bloom to our sister school, Red Fountain, to get away from the ogre. I would have returned Bloom to you sooner, but they were both unconscious when they arrived."

Mike whirled on Bloom. "You're hurt?"

"I'm fine!" she protested.

"She has what's known as winx depletion," Ms. Faragonda added.

"And what's that?" Mike asked, irritation creeping into his tone.

"It means that Bloom overused her magic, exhausting herself," Ms. Faragonda said. "She'll need plenty of rest, but she should make a full recovery."

Some of the tension left Mike's shoulders at that. Still, he frowned down at Bloom as he asked, "What did you do?"

She couldn't meet his gaze, instead looking around the room. She heard Mike's sudden intake of breath, and looked back up at him to see understanding flicker across his face. "You started the fire," he said.

"I didn't mean to," Bloom said. "One of the ghouls attacked me, and I just…"

Ms. Faragonda stepped forward. "I know this may not be the most opportune moment, but it's the only one I have to speak to you. Mr. Peters, your daughter needs training. Now that she's accessed her magic, it will continue to make itself known, whether she intends for it to or not. She needs to learn how to use it properly in order to avoid more accidents like this. Magic has not been used on Earth in centuries, so she will find no one here to help her. I'd like to extend an invitation for Bloom to attend Alfea on scholarship." She waved a hand, and in a shower of sparkling lights, a booklet appeared. Ms. Faragonda held it out for Mike to take.

"This contains some information about Alfea. I know you and your wife will probably need some time to talk things over before you come to a decision. The school year starts the day after tomorrow. If it's alright with you, I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon for your answer."

Mike reached out and took the booklet. "Vanessa and I will certainly discuss things."

Ms. Faragonda nodded. Glancing over at Bloom, she smiled. "Despite the circumstances, Bloom, I am glad we met. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget to get some rest." Ms. Faragonda waved her hands again, and a shimmering portal appeared beneath her feet. She quickly sank into it, and then she was gone, leaving Mike and Bloom in silence.

Bloom leaned against Mike. The shock of seeing her home in ruins was starting to wear off, and weariness was creeping up on her again. "Where's Mom?"

"She's at a hotel," Mike said. "I came back here to – well, it doesn't really matter." He hugged her close again, kissing the top of her head. "Let's get going so we can let her know that you're okay."


	4. Chapter 4

Alfea School for Fairies, Part 1

It was hunger that woke Bloom up. _What time is it?_ She rolled over to see the digital clock on the nightstand, which informed her that it was nearly time for lunch.

"Good morning, Bloom."

Bloom sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Morning, Mom."

Vanessa hugged her and kissed her cheek. Her parents had never been shy about showing affection, but both of them had been freer with hugs than usual since she'd returned last night. "Are you feeling better?" Vanessa asked.

"I am," Bloom said. She wasn't anywhere near as exhausted as she'd been the day before. She'd crashed as soon as she and Mike had made it to the hotel room. "I'm pretty hungry though."

"Your father went by the house to see if he could find anything salvageable," Vanessa told her. "He should be on his way back soon, and he's going to pick up lunch for us."

"Sounds good," Bloom said. "I'll shower while we wait."

The hot shower was nice, and Bloom took her time. _I wonder how Stella's doing today. Hope she's feeling better too._ When she was done with her shower, Bloom was a little dismayed to realize that she was going to have to wear the same clothes that she'd had on the day before. _Oh well, nothing for it, I guess._

By the time she left the bathroom, Mike had returned bearing pizza. Bloom eagerly accepted a slice of pepperoni and mushroom and settled on one of the beds to eat.

"So, what now?" Bloom asked between bites. She wasn't overly eager to hear the verdict on the level of damage to their house, but it would be silly to pretend that she didn't need to know.

"Well," Mike said, "there isn't much from downstairs that can be saved. Luckily the fire was contained before it spread upstairs, so if we can manage to get the smell of smoke out of the stuff upstairs, we won't have to throw quite as much away. Our insurance should cover the cost of the repairs, but it's going to be several weeks minimum before we can move back in."

Bloom chewed her bite of food slowly, trying to ignore the pinpricks of guilt that she felt. She hadn't purposely set their house on fire, but that didn't change the fact that it was still her fault. Swallowing, she asked, "And what about Alfea?"

Mike and Vanessa exchanged a look. "We haven't made up our minds about that," Vanessa said. "What are you thinking about it, Bloom?"

"I think I'd like to go," Bloom said. "I mean, I know it's in another dimension and all, but I have _magic_. What if I lose control again? No one got hurt yesterday, but what if next time someone does?" Bloom shrugged. "If there was somewhere on Earth that I could learn magic, I'd stay, but Ms. Faragonda said there isn't." Ms. Faragonda had said that there hadn't been anyone who could use magic on Earth in centuries. Bloom didn't have a clue why she could use magic now when that was supposed to be impossible, but the fact was that she could. "I need help, and I think Alfea might be my best chance to get it."

"We'll see," Mike said. He tossed his paper plate in the nearby trashcan. "In the meantime, we'd better head to the store and get a few essentials. I don't know about you two, but I'd like a change of clothes."

Bloom normally had fun shopping, but she didn't find it nearly as exciting as usual that afternoon. There was a big difference between getting new stuff because you wanted to, and getting new stuff because you'd destroyed most of the stuff you already had. The shopping trip lasted several hours, and when they had what they needed they returned to their hotel. Eager to be in clean clothes, Bloom immediately changed into a new pair of jeans and a soft green t-shirt.

They'd only been back at the hotel for a few minutes when a sudden glow announced the arrival of Ms. Faragonda. The Headmistress smiled at Bloom and her family. "Good afternoon. I hope this is a good time."

"It's fine," Vanessa said, stepping forward to shake Ms. Faragonda's hand. "I'm Vanessa, Bloom's mother. Thank you for taking care of her yesterday."

"It was no trouble at all," Ms. Faragonda said. "Now, I'm assuming the two of you probably have questions for me about Alfea."

"We do," Mike said. "First, we're not thrilled about Bloom going somewhere that we have no way to reach. We can't make portals to other dimensions."

Ms. Faragonda nodded. "An understandable concern. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about your ability to reach Alfea, but I can provide Bloom with a trans-dimensional phone that will enable her to call you, and I can also arrange to have her sent home for every school holiday."

"And, while we appreciate that you seem to want to help Bloom, we can't help but wonder why," Vanessa said. "We can tell from the brochure you gave us that your school is probably normally expensive, but you're offering to let Bloom attend for free."

"I'll be honest, it's not something that we frequently do," Ms. Faragonda said, "but Bloom's situation is unique. There have been no fairies born on Earth in several centuries. I'd like to know if Bloom's abilities are a fluke, or if they are a sign that magic is returning to Earth."

Bloom's parents exchanged a look here, and Bloom thought that she knew what it meant. It was a startling idea, that there might be more people on Earth with magic, but it was also a comforting idea. It meant Bloom wasn't necessarily alone with her struggles.

Ms. Faragonda continued, "Either way, Bloom still needs training."

"We're still not comfortable with sending Bloom to a place we've never seen," Mike said.

"I wouldn't expect you to be," Ms. Faragonda said. "If you would like, I can take you on a tour of the school."

"Can we?" Bloom asked eagerly.

Mike and Vanessa exchanged looks again, and slowly Mike nodded. "I think we'd better."

With a wave of her hands and a few whispered words that Bloom didn't quite catch, Ms. Faragonda opened up a swirling portal in the air. "Right this way."

Despite everything, Bloom couldn't help the excitement that stirred in her as she walked through the portal. Maybe her introduction to the magical world hadn't been everything she could have hoped, but she was about to see an actual school for fairies, a school that she might soon be attending.

The portal deposited them in a large, comfortable office. Behind the neatly organized desk was a wall that was almost entirely made of windows, and Bloom was immediately drawn to them to look out over the campus grounds. "Oh, wow." Manicured lawns stretched away from the building they were in, ending at a high wall. Paths crisscrossed the lawn, and artful trees and flowers made it seem more like a park than school grounds. She could see students walking around, or gathering in clumps to talk.

"Welcome to Alfea," Ms. Faragonda said, and it was plain by the tone of her voice that she was quite proud of the school that she ran.

"It's beautiful!" Bloom said.

"The view is lovely," Ms. Faragonda agreed. "But there is much more to Alfea than the courtyard."

She led them out of her office into the hallway, and Bloom was quickly struck by the elegance of the school. Alfea was much fancier than any school she had ever seen before, though it still had things in common with regular schools as well. There were classrooms, labs, a library, a gym, even a cafeteria. It was prettier than any other school she'd seen, but it was still definitely a school.

"Ms. Faragonda – oh, my apologies, I didn't realize you were with guests."

"It's no problem, Griselda," Ms. Faragonda said. "This is actually good timing. I'd like to introduce you to Bloom, the young lady I was telling you about yesterday. These are her parents, Mike and Vanessa. This is Griselda, the Assistant Headmistress and Head of Discipline here at Alfea."

Head of Discipline certainly seemed to fit Ms. Griselda. Everything about the woman seemed severe, from her square glasses, to her angled haircut, and her high necked blouse.

"It's nice to meet you," Bloom said quickly. She had a feeling that if she attended Alfea, Ms. Griselda was one teacher that she would not like to get on the wrong side of.

"Likewise," Ms. Griselda replied. Shifting her attention back to Ms. Faragonda, Ms. Griselda added, "If you could inform me when you've finished your tour, I need to meet with you."

"Certainly, Griselda," Ms. Faragonda said.

Ms. Griselda nodded at Bloom and her parents and then marched off down the hall. Students quickly edged out of her way, much to Bloom's amusement. _Yeah, she definitely has a reputation around here._

"Shall we continue?" Ms. Faragonda said, gesturing with one hand.

"I think we've seen enough," Mike replied.

Bloom glanced between her parents. She couldn't guess from that tone of voice what decision they might have reached.

"Oh my gosh, Bloom!"

Bloom didn't even have time to completely turn around before arms wrapped around her shoulders in a hug that almost knocked her over. Bloom laughed. "Hi, Stella."

Stella abruptly let go of her and stepped back, hands on her hips. "I can't believe you left yesterday without so much as a goodbye!"

"Sorry about that," Bloom said, rubbing the back of her head. "But I wasn't sure when you'd wake up, and I needed to let my parents know that I was okay."

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to forgive you this time," Stella said. Her wide smile quickly returned. "So, are you going to come to Alfea after all?"

Bloom glanced back at her parents. "I think we're about to find out."

Her parents exchanged another silent look. It seemed like they'd been doing that a lot lately. Veronica nodded slightly and Mike said, "We're willing to let Bloom try for a semester."

Stella squealed and hugged Bloom again, making Bloom laugh. "You're going to love it here, Bloom!"

"Stella, why don't you show Bloom your room?" Ms. Faragonda said. "Her parents and I have some paperwork to go over."

"Is she going to take Veranda's spot?" Stella asked eagerly.

Ms. Faragonda nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Somehow I doubt her roommates would get any peace if I put her somewhere else."

"Alright!" Stella cheered before tugging Bloom along. "Come on, roomie! I'll show you where we're staying."

"I can't believe this is really happening," Bloom said as Stella dragged her through the halls.

"Oh, it's happening," Stella said with a grin.

Bloom smiled back, but her smile dimmed as she remembered being attacked by the ogre, and the damage she had done to her home when her magic had gotten out of control. Yes, getting to come to Alfea felt like a miracle, but not everything that had happened over the past two days had been wonderful.

"Hey, Stella?"

Stella glanced back at her, slowing down when she saw the expression on Bloom's face. "What is it?"

"What happened? Back at my house, I mean, before you transported us to Red Fountain." Bloom knew the basics thanks to what Ms. Faragonda had put together; she'd obviously lost control of her magic when the ghoul attacked her and set her house on fire. But piecing that information together was different than hearing it from the one person that had actually seen what had happened.

"What's to tell?" Stella asked, waving one hand. "You destroyed some baddies, passed out, and I got us out of there. No big."

Bloom crossed her arms over her chest. "Stella. I almost completely burned down my house. What. Happened."

Stella winced and sighed at her tone. "Okay, okay." She glanced around. The hallway wasn't crowded, and the other girls weren't paying any attention to them, but even so Stella pulled her into a deserted alcove and spoke quietly. "So what's the last thing you remember?"

"Getting jumped by the ghoul," Bloom said. Her skin crawled at the memory of its weight slamming into her, but she tried hard not to show it.

Stella nodded. She didn't seem surprised that that was the last moment that Bloom remembered. "Right. That was sort of the moment where your winx got out of control. I mean, winx just started pouring out of you, and it wiped out the ghouls on contact. The ogre ran out the back door to get away from the fire. So all the danger was gone, but you were unconscious at that point, and your magic wasn't really stopping."

That all matched up with what Ms. Faragonda had told her. Bloom had to repress a shiver at the image Stella was painting though. The idea of being so out of control was terrifying. If there had been innocent people in the building – if her _parents_ had been in the building – she could have really hurt them.

 _I could have killed them._

Bloom shook her head to dislodge the thought, fingers digging into her arms. She was not going there. Besides, she was going to be trained now. She'd learn how to control her magic, and nothing like that would happen again.

"So how'd you snap me out of it?" Bloom asked. It wasn't going to happen again. She wouldn't let it. But…just in case. She ought to know.

Stella shifted from foot to foot, her eyes darting towards the hallway as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them. "I might have sort of merged our winx."

Bloom frowned. The information didn't really mean anything to Bloom, but it was obvious from the way Stella was acting that it was kind of a big deal. "And what does that mean?"

Stella sighed. "Merging winx is a high level technique. It's sort of like touching another person's soul. Which is a total invasion of privacy, I know, but it was the only way I could think of to get you the message that we weren't in danger anymore!" She clasped her hands in front of her, Stella's brown eyes wide and beseeching. "Honest, Bloom, it was the only thing I could think of!"

Bloom still wasn't sure she quite understood what Stella was talking about. But she did get that Stella seemed worried she'd be upset about it. "Stella, it's okay," Bloom said, letting her arms fall to her sides. "I'm just glad you were able to think of something to help me get my magic back under control."

Stella visibly relaxed, her smile returning. "Oh, good. And I haven't noticed any side effects yet, so we'll probably be okay."

"Wait, what?" Bloom demanded as Stella winced. "Stella, what kind of side effects?"

Stella didn't meet her gaze, twirling some of her blonde hair around a finger. "It's _nothing_ , really. It's just, if you're not careful, well, the fairies involving in a merge can end up forming a link with each other. That's all."

Bloom ran a hand over her face. Getting specifics from Stella was proving to be more effort than Bloom would have liked. "What _kind_ of link?"

"Um, I don't really know details about that part," Stella said. "But hey, neither of us have noticed anything weird, so we probably don't have to worry about it!"

"Any chance this school has a magical library where we can study the potential side effects of merging our winx?" Bloom asked dryly.

Stella blinked, tapping one finger against her chin. "Oh, yeah, it does. I always forget about the library. But we should probably do this research sort of secretly. Just to kind of avoid drawing attention from anyone that might be a little, shall we say, less than thrilled to know that I was using a high level technique like that. Mkay?"

"Sure, Stella," Bloom agreed. So long as there weren't any side effects that she might need help with, Bloom didn't mind keeping it a secret.

"Great!" Stella linked arms with Bloom, pulling her back out into the hall. "Now that we've got that cleared up, on to our room! I'll introduce you to our other roomies too."

"Other roommates? How many of us are living in one space?" Bloom asked.

"There's five of us, but don't worry, Alfea has decent sized rooms," Stella assured her. "We've got a common living room, three bedrooms, and each bedroom has a bathroom. You and I will share a room. Two of the other girls – Tecna and Musa – share another room, and the last girl – Flora – has a room to herself, which is just as well seeing as she basically brought a garden with her."

Stopping in front of a door, Stella gestured grandly. "And here we are!"

 _I'm never going to be able to find our room again. I need a map of this place._

Stella pushed the door open, and Bloom followed her inside. "Oh, wow." Like every other part of Alfea, it was pretty. Plush carpet covered the floor, and tall windows of the far wall let in streams of natural light. A couch and two oversized chairs were arranged in a circle around a coffee table, clearly intended as a place to encourage conversations. No TV though, which was just a little disappointing.

There was a girl curled up in one of the chairs with a tablet, who glanced up as the two of them entered. "Oh, hello," she said.

 _Whoa, that's got to be dye, right?_

The girl was pretty, with high cheekbones, fine features, and bright teal eyes, but the trait that stood out the most about her was her hot pink pixie cut hair. If the color was a dye job, this girl has the best stylist that Bloom had ever heard of, because the impossible color looked completely natural on her.

"Hey, Tecna!" Stella said cheerfully. "This is our new roommate, Bloom! Bloom, this is Tecna."

Tecna set her tablet down on the end table next to her chair and stood. _Wow, she's tall._ Several inches taller than Bloom, and with a slender build, Tecna could definitely have pulled off being a model if she'd been interested. But Bloom got the feeling that she wasn't interested in that sort of thing. Tecna hadn't bothered to wear any makeup, and her outfit – a loose purple tunic over leggings and mismatched socks – spoke far more of comfort than style.

She walked forward and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Bloom."

Bloom shook her hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you too."

"Move in day for freshmen was the day before yesterday," Tecna said. "Why have you arrived so late?"

"Um," Bloom said, caught off guard by the abrupt question.

"Tecna," Stella sighed. "We've told you! Small talk _before_ you start information gathering!" She turned to Bloom. "You'll have to excuse her. Tecna's from Zenith, you see. They're all about logic and stuff, and they don't really do small talk well."

Tecna was frowning, but not as though she were bothered by Stella's reprimand, merely puzzled. "I apologize if I have overstepped a social line."

"It's fine," Bloom said. "I guess I'm sort of a special case. I'm from Earth, so I kind of got in last minute after Stella showed up, and the ogre thing happened…I guess it's kind of a long story."

Tecna's head tilted to the side. "You're from Earth? That should be impossible. Magic hasn't existed there in centuries."

Bloom shrugged. "So I've been told. But I definitely have magic, so here I am."

Tecna was eyeing her with interest now, as though she'd turned into a particularly intriguing puzzle. "I see. Well, being from Earth, I suppose Magix must be a very different place for you. If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask."

Bloom smiled at her. Tecna was a little different, but the offer was a nice gesture, and she seemed sincere. "Thanks, Tecna, I appreciate it."

"Are Flora and Musa here?" Stella asked.

"Flora is in her room tending to her plants," Tecna said. "Musa went exploring."

"I guess you'll have to meet Musa later," Stella said, "but I'll go ahead and introduce you to Flora."

Tecna nodded at them before returning to her seat, and Stella led Bloom to a door on their right. She knocked, and a moment later it was opened by another girl, presumably Flora. She was slightly shorter than Bloom, with light brown skin, and waist length brown hair tied back in a thick braid. She was dressed in a patchwork, ankle length skirt with a loose, flowy top that was the same shade of green as her wide eyes. She smiled at them. "Good afternoon, Stella. Who's your friend?" Her voice was soft and sweet.

"This is our new roommate, Bloom!" Stella said. "She's taking Veranda's place. I wanted to make sure she's introduced to everyone. Bloom, this is Flora."

"Nice to meet you," Bloom said.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Flora said, loosely clasping her hands in front of her and causing the bangles on her wrists to jingle softly.

A peppy tune chirped through the air, startling Bloom. "Oh, sorry," Stella said, pulling a cell phone out of her pants pocket. "Let me check this real quick."

Bloom stared for a moment, caught off guard by the sight of Stella using something as mundane as a cell phone. _Well, Tecna did have a tablet. I guess I just didn't really think about magical people having similar technology to us, because well…they've got magic._

Stella squealed, bouncing on her heels for a moment as her fingers rapidly typed a reply to whatever message she'd gotten. "Sorry, Flora, we'll have to chat later. Come on, Bloom, the guys are waiting for us!"

"Guys?" Bloom asked blankly.

Stella slipped her phone back in her pocket, and then grabbing Bloom's hand she pulled her along to the door. Bloom helplessly waved bye to Flora, feeling bad for running off so quickly. Flora just smiled and waved as they went off.

"Right, I guess you didn't technically meet them," Stella said as she continued to pull Bloom along. "So, after you got your winx under control, I teleported us to Red Fountain to get away from the ogre, right? Not that I was exactly _aiming_ for Red Fountain, but that's where we went. I've got some friends there, and we sort of showed up in their room, and then I passed out. Anyway, I didn't really get a chance to talk to them before Ms. Faragonda brought me here, so they've come to check on us."

"Wait, so these guys saw me yesterday, while I was unconscious?" Bloom asked.

"Ye-ep!" Stella chirped as they made it outside.

Bloom repressed a groan. She didn't know what she'd looked like yesterday right after the fight, but she had seen what she looked like that morning before her shower. It hadn't been pretty. _Guess the chance for a good first impression is out the window._

Of course she had been in a fight right before meeting them. That ought to earn her a little bit of grace, so far as making a first impression.

Stella slowed down as soon as the front gate was in view, as though she had all the time in the world to make it there. The sudden change in pace made Bloom stumble a little, but luckily she didn't actually fall flat on her face.

 _Geez, what's with her? Rushing to get there, then slowing down, acting like it's no big deal. You want to see your friends or not?_

As they drew closer to the gate, Bloom spotted three guys waiting for them. One of them noticed Stella right away, breaking away from his friends to approach her. Olive skinned with brown eyes and tousled brown hair, he had a build that reminded Bloom of high school quarterbacks. His gaze swept over Stella intently, and he smiled. "Hey, Stella. You're looking better."

Stella pouted. "Sky, I can't believe you'd imply there's ever a time I don't look good!"

"To be fair, yesterday was kind of rough," Bloom said.

Stella glared hands on her hips. "Bloom!"

Bloom raised her hands in surrender. "I'm only telling the truth."

"Looks like you're doing better too," said the second guy. This one was slightly taller than Sky, and with a leaner build. More like a runner than a football player. His blond hair was a little longer than Bloom usually liked on guys, hanging down around his jawline, but he pulled it off. He had the most brilliant blue eyes she'd ever seen on anyone, and when he smiled at her, he showed off a dimple on one cheek.

"Um, yeah," Bloom said.

"We haven't been properly introduced yet," Sky said. "I'm Prince Sky, and this is Brandon, my bodyguard. And Timmy here is one of our roommates."

"Nice to actually meet you," Timmy said with an affable grin. He was cute too, though more in a boy-next-door kind of way, with red hair, freckles, and brown eyes framed by square glasses.

"Yeah, sorry about dropping in on you guys like that," Bloom said.

"It's fine," Sky said, waving a hand in dismissal. "We're training as heroes, after all, so we're always available to rescue damsels in distress," he added with a wink.

Bloom smiled. Normally she'd take offense at being referred to as a damsel in distress, but Sky kept his tone light enough that it didn't come across as condescending.

"What, no Riven today?" Stella asked.

"He said he was too busy getting ready for classes tomorrow," Timmy said. "Also that you were probably fine and we were worrying too much."

"I'm touched by his concern," Stella said dryly. She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys came! It's been way too long."

"Wouldn't have been nearly so long if you hadn't gotten yourself expelled last year," Brandon said with a laugh.

Bloom felt her eyes go wide. "You were expelled?"

"Oh yeah," Sky said. "Bloom, you've befriended Alfea's resident trouble maker."

"I wasn't making trouble!" Stella protested. "I was _trying_ to make a new shade of pink! It was for _fashion_! It wasn't like anyone got hurt in the explosion!"

Bloom was suddenly glad that her parents were still with Ms. Faragonda. If they started hearing things like "explosion" and "expelled" they might have second thoughts about letting Bloom stay.

"Did it work?" Bloom asked.

Stella sighed, crossing her arms. "Sadly, no. And my parents wouldn't let me try to perfect the spell at home, either."

"Speaking of your parents," Sky said, "have they gotten any leads on that ogre that attacked you?"

"Not that I've heard," Stella said. "Hope they find something soon, or I'll be stuck on campus forever!"

Bloom shifted, a little uncomfortable at the reminder that the ogre that had attacked them was still running free. And he hadn't succeeded in getting Stella's scepter, so what was to stop him from attacking again?

Brandon must have noticed her discomfort, because he spoke up quickly. "Don't worry, Bloom, the ogre won't come to Alfea. That would just be asking to get captured, especially with the professors here."

"He's right," Timmy agreed. "Ogres aren't really known for their intelligence, but they aren't _that_ stupid."

"Thanks," Bloom said. "That is reassuring."

Sky tossed an arm around Stella's shoulders. "And don't you worry about your imprisonment. We'll make sure to visit you so you don't get too bored. Why, we'll even make a special trip to see you next weekend."

Stella elbowed him, causing Sky to let go of her with a grunt. "Please. As if I don't remember Alfea is hosting the Welcome Dance this year. Of course you'll be here; it's mandatory."

Sky rubbed his chest where she'd elbowed him, but he still managed to smile at her. "So you'll save the first dance for me, right?"

Stella rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too, and finally it clicked in Bloom's head.

 _Oooh. They like each other!_

Now that she'd realized it, it seemed totally obvious. _They'll be cute together._

"So, there's a dance?" she asked Brandon and Timmy, deciding to let Sky and Stella flirt in peace.

"Right, I guess you wouldn't know about that," Brandon said. "It's a tradition dating back since the schools were founded. Every year each school takes turns hosting it. Last year was Red Fountain, this year is Alfea, and next year is Cloud Tower."

Bloom frowned. There was a third magical school? Cloud Tower? She hadn't heard anything about that yet. "I've got to find some kind of informational book about Alfea."

"I guess it's pretty different from Earth, huh?" Timmy said, startling Bloom.

"I didn't tell you guys that," she said.

"Um, no," Brandon said. He rubbed the back of his head, looking kind of sheepish. "Sky and I heard Stella's explanation when she was telling Ms. Faragonda what happened. Sorry about that. We weren't meaning to pry into your business, but Stella's a friend. We wanted to know what had happened to her for her to be that hurt."

Bloom could understand that. "I guess if one of my friends showed up mysteriously hurt, I'd want to know what was going on too."

Timmy glanced down at his watch. "I hate to break up the conversation, but if we're going to get back to Red Fountain before curfew we'd better get going soon."

Brandon nodded. "Right. It was nice getting to meet you, Bloom."

"Same here," Bloom said.

"Sky, it's time to go," Brandon said.

Sky shot him a look, seeming exasperated at the interruption, but he joined his friends. Brandon waved at Bloom as they walked out the gate, and boy was his dimple cute when he smiled like that. "I'll see you at the dance, Bloom."

Her mouth was suddenly dry, and it took her a moment to come up with a reply. "Yeah, see you!"

"Well, that's the guys," Stella said, turning back toward Alfea. "Except Riven. I guess you'll meet him at the dance."

Bloom followed, letting Stella's chatter wash over her as she kept picturing Brandon's parting smile.

 _I think I'm really going to like it here._

* * *

AN: Ugh, so many character introductions, and I didn't even get through all of them. Why does Winx Club have so. many. characters? So, not much action in this chapter, but I was trying to get some characters established so that I can hopefully move things forward a little quicker.

A quick note about Cloud Tower. The way it's portrayed in the show, Cloud Tower very much comes across as an Evil School for Training Villains. I don't like that. It doesn't make sense to me. So, I'm changing things up a bit. Cloud Tower and Alfea definitely still have a rivalry going on, I'm cool with that. But the witches aren't all going to automatically be terrible people either. Just stick with me, and hopefully you'll enjoy the way it plays out.


End file.
